Pulliam had to overcome a green-white-checkered finish that ultimately pushed the feature race into overtime. Pulliam officially finished 206 laps by a 0.344-second margin over Grala, who barely held off Sellers.

The reigning two-time NASCAR Whelen All-American series national champion seemed to have a comfortable win in his grasp, but a final caution brought out by a mini-spin from Chris Johnson just before the white flag flew bunched the field and forced a final GWC.

Pulliam got sufficient horsepower and held off Grala ands Sellers in the final two-lap dash for the $5,000 payday.

“It’s going to help out, that’s for sure,” said Pulliam.

“Every race team out here is (spending considerable bucks on late model competition.) This is a very expensive sport. I’m just thankful to have good sponsors and be able to compete. Everybody down here on pit road is sending quite a bit of money and to be able to win a little bit back never hurts,”he said.

Pulliam panned the final GWC.

“A spin is when a car stops on the race track and he (Johnson) never stopped. I think the caution was just to try to make it exciting. Just got lucky we didn’t tear up a lot of race cars right there and were able to hold on,” said Pulliam.

“Yes, it was hard, clean racing at the end. But it could have been different. You just never know for $5,000 and the biggest race of the year here now,” said Pulliam.

“Anything can happen. We got wrecked racing for the lead at Motor Mile last week. Those late-race cautions are always dangerous and it’s not a driver on pit road that likes to see them,” said Pulliam.

Four-time national champion Philip Morris had the strongest car before a mid-race break and an inversion to shuffle the field.

Morris held off a brief challenge from Sellers and dominated the first half. Morris won the restarts in the first half. He also held off Sellers after a Greg Edwards spin on lap 81, blasting to the lead until the mid-race break.

The drivers took time to make adjustments to the cars, with five cars inverted for the second half dash for cash. Austin Thaxton led after the inversion and the restart on 103, but neither he or Morris were serious threats to win at the end.

Thaxton had a good run and finished tenth. Morris never regained the momentum from the first half of the race and finished seventh.

Pulliam quickly charged to near-complete control of the race after the inversion, with a strong lead at 116. Sellers made it interesting later by leading briefly, but Pulliam regained the point with a backstretch charge at lap 142. He never relinquished the lead again.

Tyler Ankrum spun in turn 4 on lap 163, but Pulliam used an effective low line and won the restart.

By lap 195, it appeared Pulliam was home free.

But Johnson briefly got loose. He lost control briefly, and created a puff of smoke, enough for the flagman to reach for the yellow just as the field was preparing for the white flag lap.